Marafa (Hell's Kitchen)

After millions of years, the forces of sand wind & rain have created one of the most fascinating natural spectacles in all of Africa. Not far from Malindi, the bizarre canyons and colourful rock formations of “Hell’s Kitchen”, as they locals refer to it, rise into the sky.

According to an age-old Kenyan legend, the deep chasms of Hell’s Kitchen were formed by divine anger. Rumour has it that there once was a rich but decadent family that took great pleasure in bathing in the highly precious milk of their cows. God punished them by ordering the ground beneath their village to open up and swallow the entire family.

Up until today, the red and white sandstone of Marafa, symbolizing blood and milk, serves as an eternal memorial against wastefulness and exorbitance.

Tip: Don’t miss the fascinating moment when for a short time, the setting sun illuminates the entirety of the iridescent sandstone formations inside the canyon!